Africa

Pirates attack German container ship off West African coast

A vessel operated by Hamburg-based Bernhard Schulte Ship management was attacked by two speedboats in the Gulf of Guinea on Friday. The Maersk Tema was attacked by two speedboats off…

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Libya’s war will only end ‘when Haftar dies’, says UN-backed government chief

Libya’s civil war will run on as long as General Khalifa Haftar is alive, a powerful figure in the UN recognised government fighting the renegade commander has said. Fathi Bashagha,…

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Congo’s Ebola outbreak slows but still global emergency

The World Health Organization said although signs are now “extremely positive” in Congo that the Ebola outbreak is winding down, the epidemic remains a global health emergency. To date,…

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Libya’s cities left ‘re-contaminated’ by explosives by months of fighting

Ongoing hostilities in Libya have left numerous cities severely “re-contaminated” with unexploded ordnance, threatening schools, universities and hospitals, the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) said. The warning about hazardous military…

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New report shows over 400 million children grow up in war zones

Nearly one in six children around the world — 415 million children in all — were living in a conflict zone in 2018, more than double the figure recorded in…

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UN Security Council adopts Libyan ceasefire resolution

The UN Security Council on Wednesday in New York adopted a resolution calling for "lasting ceasefire" in Libya's ongoing conflict. The resolution confirms commitments made by international leaders during a summit in…

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United Nations flights stopped from landing by Haftar’s forces

The United Nations said eastern Libyan forces loyal to Khalifa Haftar have refused to grant landing permits for flights bringing U.N. staff to and from Libya, a statement said on…

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IOM Assists over 1,400 Migrants with Voluntary Return to Ghana

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) this week assisted 61 migrants who were stranded in Niger with voluntarily return to Ghana, bringing the total number of assisted Ghanaians to 1,400 since…

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Turkey sending growing number of Syrian mercenaries to Libya

At least 2,000 Syrian militiamen have been recruited by Ankara to fight in Libya for a monthly wage of $2,000 (€1,830) and the promise of Turkish citizenship — an attractive offer for those in Syrian opposition-held areas…

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French and Italian Foreign Ministers discuss Libya

Several international issues and especially Libya were on the agenda for Tuesday's meeting between Italian foreign minister Luigi Di Maio and his French counterpart, Jean-Yves Le Drian. A statement issued…

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East Africa to be hit by another massive locust swarm

The UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warned that nymph (baby) desert locusts maturing in Somalia's rebel-held backcountry, where aerial spraying is next to unrealizable, will develop wings in the…

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Africa deemed unprepared for coronavirus outbreak

As the coronavirus spreads through much of China and various parts of the world, it has yet to be confirmed in Africa, but global health authorities are increasingly worried about…

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African Union discusses possible peace force for Libya

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he supports the African Union (AU) taking a greater role in mediating the Libya crisis, acknowledging the bloc's frustration at being sidelined so far. The…

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Cameroon vote marked by violence and abstention

Polls have opened in Cameroon elections overshadowed by separatist violence, which has displaced hundreds of thousands of people, and a partial opposition boycott. Elections for the central African country's legislature and local…

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New U.N. effort for ceasefire in Libya

Libya’s warring parties will continue talks this month to try to reach a lasting ceasefire in a war for control of the capital Tripoli, the United Nations said on Saturday,…

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Appeal for ‘convergence’ over lasting Libya ceasefire

On day four of UN-led talks to transform an uncertain truce in Libya into a permanent ceasefire, veteran negotiator Ghassan Salamé on Thursday welcomed the “progress” that had been made…

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US wants foreign intervention in Libya to stop

The US has called for an immediate end to foreign intervention in Libya which was only “fuelling the conflict” and undermining peace efforts. A US State Department official told Arab…

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Reports Turkey deploying Islamic extremists to Libya

Syrian militants affiliated with groups such as al-Qaida and the Islamic State group are currently being sent by Turkey to fight on behalf of the U.N.-supported government in Libya, according…

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U.N. Secretary General says Libya situation a ‘scandal’

U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday called the situation in Libya a “scandal” even as his envoy cited a “genuine will” by rival military factions as they planned their…

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France to boost military troops in Africa’s Sahel to counter terrorism

France announced it was bolstering its military presence in Africa's Sahel region to counter jihadi violence. French Defence Minister Florence Parly said in a statement that the majority of the…

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Spray planes combat the huge locust outbreak in East Africa

As locusts by the billions descend on parts of Kenya in the worst outbreak in 70 years, small planes are flying low over affected areas to spray pesticides in what…

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New discoveries at an archaeological site in Minya, Egypt

A view of mummies found in tombs of late period high priests at the Al-Ghoreifa area of the Tuna El-Gabal archaeological site, Minya governorate, 270km south of Cairo, Egypt. Egypt's…

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Willingness to negotiate peace in Libya as UN-led talks are held in Geneva

The U.N. envoy to Libya said on Tuesday there was a "genuine will to start negotiating" between rival military factions as they planned to meet for the first time for…

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Algeria evacuates Tunisian nationals and Libyan students from China

A plane is expected to arrive in Algeria on Monday with Tunisian, Libyan and Algerian citizens who were evacuated from Wuhan in China due to the coronavirus outbreak. The Algerian…

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Mercenary ‘Mad Mike’ Hoare dies aged 100

Michael "Mad Mike" Hoare, widely considered the world's most famous mercenary, has died aged 100. Born in India to Irish parents, he led campaigns in the Congo in the 1960s…

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New UN draft resolution calls for withdrawal of mercenaries in Libya

The United Kingdom has sent its fellow Security Council members an amended draft resolution on Libya, calling for the withdrawal of mercenaries from the country. The draft expresses the Council's…

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US expands travel ban to include Nigeria, five other countries

U.S. President Donald Trump issued an expanded version of his travel ban on Friday that targets prospective immigrants from Nigeria and five other countries, a move that could affect thousands…

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UNHCR suspends work at key transit site in Libya, top UN official in Libya expresses “deep anger” over increased fighting

The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, has halted operations at a site in Tripoli, out of fear that it could become a target. The agency on Thursday announced that it has suspended work…

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Turkey and France exchange accusation over Libya

French President Emmanuel Macron has accused Turkey of violating the agreement established at a Berlin summit to rein in the Libya conflict by halting foreign interference, saying Turkish warships and…

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Continuous ceasefire violations in Libya causing concern

Violations in Libya's shaky ceasefire are concerning, Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said. Di Maio voiced "deep concern" for the violations, sources reported by ANSA said, in phone conversations the…

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Germany calls for UN sanctions for countries breaking Libya arms embargo

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said the UN should pass a resolution sanctioning any country that breaks the arms embargo on Libya. German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas made this point…

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CiConsulta Geopolitical Insight – Libya

Background: The European Union plans to use a revamped version of Operation Sophia in order to crack down on arms imports into Libya by conducting a maritime surveillance mission just…

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Lina Ben Mhenni, activist who chronicled Tunisia uprising, dies at 36

Acclaimed Tunisian blogger Lina Ben Mhenni, who chronicled the popular uprising that toppled longtime president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in 2011, died on Monday aged 36 after a long…

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Fighting flares up in Libya

Officials from Libya’s two rival governments said fighting erupted Sunday as the country’s east-based forces advanced toward the strategic western city of Misrata, further eroding a crumbling cease-fire agreement brokered…

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Erdogan in Algeria: Libya conflict ‘won’t be solved by military means’

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the Libyan crisis could not be solved by "military means", after talks Sunday with his Algerian counterpart in Algiers. Erdogan, accompanied by a high-level…

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Erdogan says Haftar cannot be expected to respect Libya truce

Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said on Sunday that eastern Libyan military commander Khalifa Haftar could not be expected to respect a ceasefire called between his forces and pro-government troops in…

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Kenya suffers worst locust infestation in 70 years

The worst outbreak of desert locusts in Kenya in 70 years has seen hundreds of millions of the insects swarm into the east African nation from Somalia and Ethiopia. Those…

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UN warns several countries violated Libyan arms embargo since Berlin summit

Several countries that participated in a Berlin peace summit last week and agreed to respect an existing United Nations arms embargo have violated their commitment, the UN said on Saturday.…

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Lack of peace in Libya will bring instability in the Mediterranean – Erdogan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan met with German Chancellor Angela Merkel at the inauguration of the Turkish-German University campus in Istanbul on Friday, and said the "chaos in Libya will…

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Libyan oil production nearing collapse – NOC

There is a risk in Libya that within a few days oil production will plummet to the lowest level since the fall of Muammar Ghaddafi in 2011. The warning came…

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No EU deal on Libya unless Turkey accord scrapped – Greek PM

European Union will not agree to a political solution to Libya’s factional conflict unless Turkey and Libya abandon a maritime accord they signed in November, Greek prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis…

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Dos Santos’ Banker found dead in Lisbon

A banker implicated in the embezzlement and money-laundering case against Africa's richest woman, Isabel dos Santos, has been found dead in Lisbon. Nuno Ribeiro da Cunha, 45, managed the account…

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Isabel Dos Santos, Africa’s richest woman, accused of fraud

Africa's richest woman, Isabel Dos Santos, has been formally accused of embezzlement by prosecutors in Angola. Attorney General Helder Pitta Gros said the allegations related to her time as chairwoman…

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Haftar forces threaten to hit civilian planes in Libya

The Turkish news agency Anadolu Agency is reporting that forces loyal to Libya’s commander Khalifa Haftar Wednesday declared Libya's capital of Tripoli and its surrounding areas as a "no-fly zone"…

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Algeria to host six African foreign ministers on Libya conflict

Algeria will host foreign affairs ministers from six northern and sub-Saharan African countries on Thursday to discuss the conflict in Libya. The Algiers meeting of ministers from Egypt, Tunisia, Sudan, Chad,…

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EU to use revamped ‘Operation Sophia’ to enforce Libyan arms embargo

EU foreign minister decided this week to revive a maritime surveillance mission in the Mediterranean to enforce a potential cease-fire in Libya and a UN arms embargo against the country’s…

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UN welcomes Libya peace commitments from Berlin summit

The United Nations Security Council praised the commitment shown by world leaders to support a plan to restore peace in conflict-torn Libya and urged the warring factions to finalize a cease-fire…

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Lack of trust between warring parties clouds Libya’s future after Berlin

Chairman of the Presidential Council (PC) Fayez al-Sarraj expressed Sunday his doubts that Khalifa Haftar has any intentions to reach any agreements in the future. "Our long experience in dealing with Haftar reinforces…

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British experts could be sent to monitor proposed ceasefire in Libya

British experts could be sent to Libya as part of a possible international force to monitor a proposed permanent ceasefire. It comes as Boris Johnson was among world leaders attending…

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Documents reveal Maltese link to how ‘Africa’s richest woman’ stole fortune from her country

An award-winning investigative team from published a trove of files allegedly showing how Africa's richest woman, Isabel dos Santos, syphoned hundreds of millions of dollars of public money into…

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Italy ready to play leading role in monitoring Libya peace

Italy is ready to take a leading role in monitoring a ceasefire agreement in Libya, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said on Sunday following the conclusion of a peace conference in…

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Libya peace summit agrees to stricter UN arms embargo

World leaders attending the Libya peace summit in Berlin agreed on Sunday to uphold a UN arms embargo and end military backing for the North African country's warring factions. The…

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Libya conference in Berlin – Update

The summit on the conflict in Libya has ended with an agreement to more strictly enforce the UN arms embargo. Host Angela Merkel said a "new spirit" had been created…

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Erdogan hopes Berlin talks will cement Libya’s ceasefire

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Sunday said he hoped for an "important step" to cement Libya's fragile ceasefire at an international peace conference in Germany. "We see the Berlin…

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Ci Consulta Geopolitics insight – Libya’s crisis

The past week has seen a short-lived ceasefire between the warring Tripoli and Tobruk factions. It was never likely to last long, with General Haftar’s forces having captured Sirte just…

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EU should consider sending troops to Libya – Borrell

The EU should consider sending troops to Libya to enforce a cease-fire in the North African country, the blocs's foreign policy chief said. “If there is a cease-fire in Libya,…

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UNICEF warns ‘dire and untenable’ situation for tens of thousands of children in unrelenting conflict in Libya

The world should not accept the “dire and untenable” situation facing children in wartorn Libya the head of the UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF, said on Friday. “Children in Libya, including…

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